It's Enough
by lostinwriting23
Summary: They arrive back just after sunrise, stumbling through the Sun Tree, to find two attendants holding a shaking Velora by the shoulders, until the girl catches sight of Vex and breaks away toward her at a full sprint. Vex scoops her up without breaking stride and combs her fingers through Velora's hair until she stops trembling.


Friends!

Did that wedding wreck anyone else? Yeah? Great. Not alone. Cool. This has nothing to do with the wedding but it does have to do with two of my three favorite half elves. Let me know your thoughts!

Hope you have a gorgeous weekend!

3,

M

XXX

The idea of staying in Vasselheim while everyone prepares to make their way to the plane of Pandemonium to search for Grog's soul, isn't an entirely welcome prospect for all of Vox Machina. Pike stays to check on her temple and all the acolytes, a beacon of hope and light through the streets. A little selfishly, she thinks to herself, it's also a distraction from the gigantic, lifeless body of her best buddy lying in a temple. She tries very hard not to dwell on it. Scanlan stays by her side, keeping Kaylie tucked under one arm (more metaphorically than physically, though for a while, the girl wasn't seen far from his side) and using the other to do whatever Pike asks of him.

Keyleth though, brings Vex and Percy back to Whitestone in the interim, neither of the women keen on sticking around the city and Percy perfectly content to follow wherever they lead. Days are needed to prepare and Vex has been worried about leaving Velora with no real answers, in a strange place after such a traumatic experience. They arrive back just after sunrise, stumbling through the Sun Tree, to find two attendants holding a shaking Velora by the shoulders, until the girl catches sight of Vex and breaks away toward her at a full sprint. Vex scoops her up without breaking stride and combs her fingers through Velora's hair until she stops trembling. The first day back is filled with the youngest Vessar clinging to her sister's side or swinging between her and Percy's hands as they try desperately to keep up with all the questions that constantly overflow from her. It's a welcome distraction, her living sibling (that thought lances through her like a hot poker and she's infinitely grateful that Velora's distracted by Percy's answer about dragons as she bites back a sob), a small hand curled tightly in hers.

_When did this fucking castle get so many mirrors? _She thinks as, for the fourth time in as many minutes, she does a double take over her own shoulder, looking for her twin only to realize it's a reflection. Vax is gone. _Vax is gone. _It doesn't escape Percy's notice and when they're stopped for Velora to crouch down and look at a vase, he leans over the top of her head to press a soft kiss to Vex's temple. She turns and presses her forehead to his before he gets far and he rests against her, trying to project any (of the admittedly little) strength he has into her.

XXX

Keyleth drifts alone for a while, glassy-eyed and desperate for distractions, through the town and the gardens until she finally finds herself in the castle. She wanders up the stairs, feet carrying her on a familiar path to a familiar door before she realizes where she is.

The door should look different, shouldn't it? Now that he's gone? She stands and stares at it. This was their room. And now… it's just her room. Her hand closes over the door knob but she can't bring herself to turn the handle. She watches her fingers, curled around the brass, tries to feel the last imprint of his hand where hers is now until it makes her stomach turn and she blinks tears from her eyes as she whirls away.

Eventually, she finds her way to a different wing of the house where servants and house keepers are in and out of one room. It takes her a while to realize it's Cassandra. The image of Vex's arrows, buried nearly to the fletching, sprouting out of her chest sends a hot flash of shame over Keyleth's face. The castle staff recognize her easily by now, and duck out of the way as she tends to Cassandra, healing spells and teas on a constant tap.

The other three stop by around lunch, bringing trays of food for her and for Cass. Vex pulls Keyleth into a corner, a rapid-fire, whispered conversation between the two of them that Percy and Velora do their best not to hear. Velora, for her part, is telling a half-conscious Cassandra about the stuffed owlbear she has back home and Cassandra listens with a small, exhausted smile, eyes closed. Percy, uncharacteristically tactile with his sister, gently brushes his fingers through her streaked hair, trying to remember the exact, comforting pattern their mother had used when any of her children was sick. He doesn't think he gets it right, calluses snagging on knots in her hair and stuttering when his fingers tremble a little too much but Cass doesn't bat him away so he doesn't stop.

They both look up as Vex claps her hands, kisses Keyleth on the head and beckons to Velora and Percy to follow her out. Velora glides over and smiles up at Keyleth as she takes her big sister's hand. There's a little smudge of jelly from her sandwich on her cheek and Keyleth reaches down absently to rub it away, earning a giggle from Velora.

"Don't make me track you down tonight, darling," Vex warns as they close the door, "You know I can."

"I know," Keyleth chuckles back, a weak smile crossing her face, "I'll see you then."

XXX

Once Velora is tucked up into her bed that night, there is a knock on the front door. Before Percy can get up from his desk in their bedroom to answer, Vex comes and presses a kiss to his mouth, whispering something about needing to be with Keyleth. Percy nods quietly and kisses her forehead, promising to be in bed when she comes back. She shoots him a look that is rather less sultry than is customary and Percy's heart breaks for his wife all over again. Trinket noses up under Percy's hand and lets out a pitiful moan. Percy scratches him behind the ears and just nods to the bear before continuing about his business at the desk. With a huff, Trinket drops down next to him and leans his head into Percy's legs.

"I know you're sad, buddy," He murmurs, "But we've got to be strong for your mother, yes?"

The bear grunts again but almost seems to nod, and Percy relegates one hand to scratch him behind the ears as he works on his newest project.

Keyleth is wringing her hands in her skirt, but she freezes, wide-eyed when Vex opened the door, and the ranger doesn't have the heart to remind her about the key she has to her home. She stares up back at Vex, blinking in the light and looking about as lost as Vex feels. Vex opens her arms, not sure if it's for Keyleth or for herself but either way Keyleth comes, wrapping her arms around Vex's shoulders, leaning her head against Vex's temple and letting out a shuddering breath.

"I'm so stupid. For a second, I… I thought you were him."

Vex's stomach swoops and her eyes sting and she holds on a little tighter, "Percy covered all the mirrors when we got home today."

"Why is this so hard?"

Vex laughs wetly because she's been wondering the same thing, "Well, it's only been two days, darling."

"It feels like a lifetime already." Keyleth's voice is muffled in Vex's hair and Vex hugs herself a little closer to the druid, so that maybe the yawning chasm in their chests won't swallow them both whole.

"It does."

"I'm sorry."

"What in the world could you have to be sorry for, Keyleth?"

Kiki backs out of the hug but follows Vex into the house, "It's just… He was your twin brother. And you were… I mean, it was your whole life with him and now… I feel kind of weird mentioning all this to you, when I know you're hurting and-"

Vex cuts her off with a hand on her cheek, gently forcing green eyes to meet grey, "Keyleth, did you love my brother?"

"Of course I did. I do. More than I think I have the words for." The druid's throat bobs, a tear drips off of her eyelashes and she wrings her hands out again until Vex takes them.

"And you know he loved you so much, yes?"

"I- yes. I know."

"Then there is no reason for… You have every right to grieve him just as much as I do."

Keyleth nods slowly and then brings her arms up again and Vex is only too willing to fall into another hug.

"He loved you a whole lot."

Vex's eyes sting and she only nods, afraid that if she opens her mouth, all that will come out are sobs or his name.

"I love you a whole lot too." It's just a whisper but hearing that is enough to break the tenuous control Vex has only barely maintained through the day and she lets a little bit of a sob bubble from between her lips. Keyleth's shoulders shake too and for a while, they just hold each other and cry all over again at the unfairness of it all.

XXX

Four hours and three bottles of shiraz later, Vex stumbles back up to her room, Kiki passed out on the couch. Vex is not drunk by any means, the alcohol had mostly been for Keyleth, though she'd never let the other woman drink alone and she's got a sensible buzz going, just enough to soften the jagged edges of the gaping hole in her chest. They'd talked for hours, whispering stories back and forth about Vax and his stupid plans, Vax and his ridiculous sense of honor, Vax and his utter lack of self-preservation. As the alcohol had taken hold, it became easier to laugh about it, about him. His idiocy only made them both love him more.

Finally, Keyleth had passed out, right in the middle of an, admittedly sloppy, story about him racing all the kids in the village to get to her first as she left the council chambers in Zephra. Vex had slugged down the last of the wine, covered Keyleth in a blanket and left out a waterskin for her.

Now, upstairs, she peeks her head into the guest room where she'd tucked Velora in. A shaft of moonlight falls through the skylight directly onto the bed and- the blankets are flat. No Velora. Heart hammering, buzz forgotten, Vex rushes to the bed and pats the covers down ever further. Nothing, empty.

_Breathe, _she has to remind herself, _maybe she's gone to get some water or she got scared and she's hiding. _

Vex ducks down to check under the bed, behind the dresser, in the closet. Nothing, no Velora. Starting to feel a bit frantic, she hurries to her bedroom, hoping to get Percy and have him help her look.

She bursts into the room, expecting to find him reading in bed but the sight that greets her gentles the frenetic energy already racing through her limbs.

The large armchair that rests in the corner of their room is occupied. Percy, eyes closed, glasses askew, rests with one arm holding a children's book and the other wrapped loosely around a sleeping Velora. The girl is curled up on his lap, her braid frayed, head resting on Percy's chest. They're both breathing deeply in tandem and, just the tiniest bit, Vex feels the ache in her chest ease. Trinket's head rests on Percy's bare feet and he snores quietly. Relief washes over her and she takes a few slow steps into the room, just watching this part of her little family.

With a creak, Vex kneels down next to them, sinking the fingers of one hand into Trinket's fur when he stirs and reaching for her sister with the other. Velora blinks awake slowly when Vex brushes a stray lock of hair from her cheek. Vex does her best to smile as her sister wriggles her way out of Percy's lap and flops into her arms. Velora's breath comes in soft puffs of air against Vex's neck as she burrows in and the ranger smiles.

"You alright, monkey?"

"Had a bad dream." Velora's arms tighten around her big sister as Vex pushes herself to a standing position. She finds herself rocking back and forth unconsciously, the way she's seen women do with fussy infants, even through Vellora is nearly 7. Percy and Trinket sleep on.

"Oh I'm sorry, darling."

"Came in here to find you but it was just Percy." Velora sounds a little petulant and when Vex ducks her head to look, her sister's bottom lip is sticking out almost comically.

She swallows a laugh, "I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"That's okay. Percy read to me. He does good storybook voices."

Vex looks over at her husband fondly and plucks the picture book from his limp fingers, "I'll bet he does."

Percy huffs, a slight crease appearing between his eyebrows but otherwise he doesn't respond. A smile takes Vex's lips and she leans down to press a kiss to the side of his head.

"Think you can handle bed again, little one?" Vex asks quietly, handing the book to Velora and turning toward the door.

The girl nods and holds the book to her chest, "Yeah. Dream's not so scary now."

"They rarely are once you're awake."

Velora hums quietly in response, tucking her free arm tighter around Vex's neck and sagging against her big sister.

Trinket's head comes up when she purposefully steps on the creaky board and Vex motions for him to follow. With a groan, he lumbers after them, knocking his head into Vex's thigh until she scritches him behind the ear as they make their way down the hall.

"Trinket can sleep in there with you if you like."

Velora's head snaps up and she stares up at her sister with wide, excited eyes, "Really?"

Vex chuckles and kisses the side of the girl's head, "Of course, darling. I've reinforced all the beds to hold his weight. And you know we're here now. And Keyleth is downstairs too. We won't let anything hurt you." _Never again, _she promises herself silently.

Velora sighs and lays her head back on Vex's shoulder, "I know."

Together, Vex and Trinket tuck Velora back into bed. She cuddles herself into the wall of pillows Vex makes at her back and cradles the story book to her chest. Vex settles the blankets around her, drawing them up close under her chin and combing her fingers through Velora's hair until it falls out of her braid. She'll have to redo it in the morning.

With an ominous creak from the frame, Trinket heaves himself up on the bed and shuffles around until his head is propped on the pillows at Velora's hip. The girl reaches out with her free hand and worries his ear between her thumb and forefinger.

"All set?" Vex murmurs, still crouched low at the side of the bed.

Velora doesn't answer.

"What is it, darling? Are you still afraid?"

"Percy said you were taking care of Keyleth." It's easy to see her little face in the direct moonlight through the skylight but hard to decipher the expression.

"We were taking care of each other, yes."

Velora is quiet for a moment before asking, "Is Kiki still sad?"

"Oh. Yes, love, she is. She loves Vax very much and him… going away has been very hard for her."

Velora nods solemnly and then, "Are you still sad?"

Vex feels her throat close up a little bit and she blinks hard to keep focus on the conversation, "Yes. I don't expect we'll stop being sad for a very, very long time."

"And Percy?"

"Yes, darling, Percy too, though he might not show it."

"Oh." Velora's chin starts to quiver and she sniffles, "I'm still sad too."

"Oh Monkey I know." Vex bundles her up into a hug and strokes Velora's hair back behind her long ears. Too much had happened to her baby sister over the last few days. Guilt wells up in her for having left without warning the night before and Vex presses a kiss to Velora's head.

"I miss Vax."

It takes everything in Vex not to burst into tears, "So do, I love."

"Why'd he go away?"

Vex takes a shuddering breath and blinks away her tears as much as she can as she pulls back to look into her sister's face, "Velora. You know our brother was very sneaky. And very brave. And very strong. And loyal to a fault. And he was also very stupid sometimes because of that. He made choices to protect me and you and Keyleth and Percy and our whole little family. He made a deal to keep us safe. And part of that deal was, when everything was over, he would go to be with the goddess he made the deal with."

"If he was trying to protect you, why'd he get taken away? It sounds like a punishment. He was doing good things. You shouldn't get punished for good things. It's not fair." Velora's slim shoulders shake, as if she's just now been given permission to grieve like the rest of them. In her head, Vex swears even more vengeance against that stupid raven bitch and presses kisses into her sister's hair.

"I don't know love, I wish I had an answer for you. I wish I had answers for any of us," She takes a deep breath and pushes back so Velora is looking into her eyes again, "But you know how much he loves you still?" She taps gently on Velora's chest over her heart and waits until she nods.

"I know he feels very far away but that love will always be there. And every time you see a raven, that's our brother looking after you. And every time you see snowdrops, that's him walking beside you."

Vex doesn't notice her own tears until Velora reaches up one little hand and dabs a few off her cheeks. She takes the smaller hand and presses two kisses into the palm, one from each of the twins.

Velora's eyes, though still leaking tears, begin to droop a little and she sags against Vex again. Unsure of what else to do or say, Vex starts to hum a lullaby, only half remembered from nights spent with her mother. Vax had always remembered it better. Now she regrets taking that for granted too. Another thing lost. The song dips in her throat and she swallows hard to get the melody back.

It only takes twice through the truncated song for Velora to rest easily.

"Keep an eye out for her, yeah?" Vex murmured to the bear as she stood from the bed again, mopping at her cheeks, and headed to her own room.

To her surprise, the lantern is still lit and Percy is there, awake in bed with his sketch book propped open on his legs. Vex tries to hide her red eyes as she gives him a small smile and starts stripping off her armor and clothes and picks up his discarded blue button down.

Setting aside his sketch book, Percy lifts the blanket which Vex dives under with no hesitation, and buries herself against his chest.

"Keyleth?" He asks into her hair, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head and gently untying the end of her braid.

Vex hums as Percy skillfully unravels her braid, "Sloshed but asleep on the couch. It… I'm glad she was here."

"It's a full house tonight then," Percy's fingers don't stop, "And Velora? I wasn't sure if I should come to get you but I heard-"

"No, thank you darling, it was- She's alright. Settled in bed with Trinket. Sad. Confused. She loved your storytelling though."

Percy snorts quietly, "The nice thing about being a middle child was the others had already badgered the nannies and tutors enough that they knew how to do proper story voices."

Vex hums against his chest, still feeling warm and soft at the memory of Velora resting against him, and what might some smaller, less elven children look like in the same-

"And what about you, dear?"

The question instantly sparks tears in her eyes again and Vex can't bring herself to answer or even move. She focuses on her breathing and the feeling of Percy's warm chest beneath her cheek and not letting the pit in her chest get any bigger. Percy takes her silence as an answer and rolls to cocoon her against his body, hiding her away from the world until the sun rises and the world needed Vox Machina again.

XXX

In the morning, Keyleth wakes to a monstrous headache and a small dark haired elf perched on the ottoman, flipping through a book in her lap. She glances up with Keyleth reaches for the waterskin and smiles.

"Hi Kiki."

"Good morning Velora,"

"I'm sorry you're sad but Vex said Vax is never far away. And that he loves us all. I think she knows because they're twins and they always say twins have special powers."

Keyleth certainly wasn't expecting to have tears in her eyes this early in the morning but nine hells, why are all three of them so good making her do it. She nods slowly, trying to hide her tears from the young girl and instead stands and reaches out a hand.

"Care to help me with breakfast?" and the way the girl lifts herself gracefully to stand and leaps off the coffee makes Keyleth think just how right Vex is.

When Vex finally stumbles, head pounding, downstairs to find an obviously hungover Keyleth cooking oatmeal over the small wood burning stove in the kitchen, Velora is propped on one of the counters, her long hair braided into a flower woven plait down her back. Trinket leans against Velora and is having a few bows and flowers braided into his fur. Vex can't fight the smile at the memory of Vax doing the same thing to him, once upon a time. She always suspected Keyleth as an accomplice in that. The sheepish look on the druid's face is almost all the confirmation she needs.

Velora stands and leaps off the counter into Vex's arms as she comes in the room, with the agility and trust of a child who's never been dropped before and Vex certainly doesn't break that streak. Maybe she does stumble back into Percy but he catches her against him easily. Keyleth's eyes are red and tired but she smiles, a true smile as she watches and sneaks Trinket a bite of oatmeal when she thinks Vex isn't looking.

Syldor and Devanna are coming later in the day, she knows this, to take Velora home. The three of them will have to go back to Vasselheim and then to a plane of Pandemonium to get Grog back. There are hardly easy days ahead. But just for now, Vex lets herself bask in the glow of this small portion of her family, safe in her house. And the pit shrinks. Just a little bit. But it's enough.


End file.
